This ac unit is driving me crazy!!! Help!!!

THE COMPRESSOR FAN OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE KEEPS ON STOPPING AND THE AIR SHUTS OFF...WE SOMETIMES CUT OFF THE AC FROM THE THERMOSTAT AND WAIT A COUPLE OF HOURS AND IT COMES BACK ON...WE HAVE HAD AN HVAC GUY OUT HERE TWICE SINCE WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE 2 WEEKS DO WE NEED A NEW COMPRESSOR? WHAT TO DO??? THIS IS REALLY FRUSTRATING IN THIS GEORGIA HEAT AND WE HAVE KIDS! IS THERE A COST EFFICIENT SOLUTION?

if the unit cooled afeter the AC left you don't need a new compressor....the outsie fan/compressor both stop if a pressure safty opens low gas or dirty condenser causing hi head(if you have pressure controls within that style unit.does the inside register air continue as the outside stops and goes....

Did the tech replace the contactor? Some guys will only clean the contactor, which is sometimes okay, but in most cases you'd want to replace the contactor (and put out something to kill the ants - they'll keep coming back).

Also, could have low refrigerant charge. Compressor has an internal temperature based protector on the motor windings, and once tripped it can take several hours to reset itself....and your compressor is cooled by the refrigerant passing thru....just saying based on the original information you gave.

You may have several things going on here...and you may want a second opinion. Ask questions so you know what they are finding and proposing as the fixes.

1. outside "box" contains the compressor, the condensor, the condensor fan motor and the contactor.
2. inside "box", better known as the air handler, contains the evaporator coil and the inside blower motor.
3. The contactor is a really big, heavy duty relay controled switch. The contactor is controlled by a 24volt circuit from the thermostat. There may also be a smaller relay controled switch that turns on and off the condensor fan.

so, if I understand right, you set the thermostat for the temp you want the house to cool to. At some point, before the house gets cooled down to the temp you have selected, the outside condensor fan stops and the house stops getting cool....

so a couple of different things could be going on here.. Most common first.
1. The condensor fan is getting hot and shutting down. This could be bad bearings or a bad capacitor.
2. The system has either too much freon or too little freon. This would cause the compressor to shutdown via its high pressure kill switch or low pressure kill switch. Depending the on system you have, this could also shut down the outside condensor fan.
3. 24 volt transformer failing. this could shut down the contactor and everything would then stop.
4. wiring issue with or issues with the thermostat.

so what can you check???? first off, turn on the ac system and go outside and check to see if the condensor fan motor is running. you should feel a fairly strong flow of air and after a couple of minutes, the air flow should be hot.

Next to check are the two copper pipes that lead from the outside box to the house. Be careful when you touch them, they may be really hot or really cold... the rule of thumb is that after about 10 minutes, one of the pipes should be beer cold and the other should be hot (around the same temp as the human body inside!! LOL for those of you who know this rule of thumb!!!)

at this point you should be hearing a combination of condenser fan motor and compressor. listen while you are out there for any funny sounds. When the condenser fan motor stops, listen to see if the compressor motor is still running. listen for the compressor to stop.

There you go... report back what you see, feel and hear. I am sure that this forum can guide you though fixing your system or at least educating you!

Now for my 4000 mile away guess.... I am guessing that you have a bad condenser fan motor. I am guessing that its going out on a thermal switch within the motor. when it stops, the compressor then shuts off on high head or high temp, which then takes a while to reset....